Tories reject childcare payment plan

By Tristan Donovan Wednesday, 02 July 2008

The Conservative Party has ruled out proposals put forward by a leading think tank to give parents more control on how childcare funding is spent.

Proposal to give parents weekly childcare payments rejected

In April, the Policy Exchange, a think tank closely associated with the party, suggested giving parents weekly childcare payments they could spend as they saw fit instead of handing money to childcare providers (CYP Now, 16-22 April).

The proposals were launched by shadow families minister Maria Miller, who said at the time that the party would consider the ideas in more detail.

However, Miller has now said the move would not happen under a Conservative government. "The policy would have required an uncosted £4bn spending commitment," she said. "The proposal was also regressive since it would not target money at those who need it most.

"The real policy challenge we face is how to be more effective in getting support to those in need. It's no wonder the government is failing to meet its child poverty targets when it's failing to get childcare to the families who need it."

She said better outreach services were needed and reiterated the party's plans to use health professionals for this rather than "untrained" outreach workers.

Emma Knights, joint chief executive of the Daycare Trust, welcomed the party's decision not to adopt the proposal.

"We welcome the Conservatives' decision not to take on board the Policy Exchange's recommendations as they stand, primarily because they would have rolled back the advances that have been made in early years since the childcare strategy was published," she said.

The party's rejection of the proposals coincided with a senior civil servant informing delegates at CYP Now's Outcome-Driven Children's Centres conference last week that the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was not expecting major upheaval to children's centres if the Conservatives win the next election.

Ann Gross, the deputy director of the DCSF's children's centre and extended schools division, said: "My understanding is the Conservative Party support the children's centre programme. There may be differences in approach, but I have not picked up any intention to bring the programme to an end."